Apparatus for lubricating wire rope



1934- H. G. KINDER APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING' WIRE ROPE Filed Oct. 16'.1931 2 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 7, 1934. H. G. KINDER m 1,959,563 4 APPARATUSFOR LUBRICATING WIRE ROPE F'iled Oct. 16. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedAug. 7, 1934 PATENT, OFFICE APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING wms ROPE Halsey G.Kinder, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Macwliyte Company, Kenosha, Wis., acorporation of Illinois Application October 16, 1931, Serial No. 569,221

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for lubricatingstrands of wire rope.

It has for one object to provide means for and a method of lubricatingthe several strands as '5 they are about to be formed into a rope. An-

other object is to provide means for applying to the strands a. coldlubricant. In this sense the word cold means that the lubricant has notbeen heated. It is not artificially cooled but is applied at roomtemperature. In the past, in

the manufacture of wire rope, it has been customary to heat thelubricant so as to render it more fluid and so that it can be poured orflowed". For many reasons this-has proven unsatisfactory and it is oneof the objects of the present invention, therefore, to avoid thenecessity of heating the grease or other lubricant and to provide anapparatus and a method for applying it cold. Another object is toprovide means for positively supplying cold grease to the entire surfaceof each strand of the wire. A further object is to do this just prior tothe moment when the strands are formed or wound into the rope.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification andclaims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a rope making machine, withparts omitted, parts broken away and parts .in section, showing thelubricant supplying device in position;

Figure 2 is an end elevation showing the same .3 machine.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section along line 3-3- of Fig. 2.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawings.

A indicates a foundation upon which the machine is supported. Anyfoundation may be provided so long as it is sufiicient in size andstrength to carry the load. A is a standard supported upon thefoundation and serving to carry and position a' portion at least of therope making machine. The details of this machine are not shown as theyform no particular part of the present invention. It is sufficient forthe purposes of the present invention that means are provided forsupplying the rope strands and for forming them into the, rope. A is aforming member which is mounted for rotation and through which a numberof strands B pass. The strands are joined at a point B where they entera die or other forming member B This die may be of any suitable form andits details form no part of the present invention. It is carried in aframe member B and is preferably removably held in position therein by alocking and adjusting screw B upon which a thumb nut B may 8 be mounted.B B are rods preferably mounted in the standard A and projectingoutwardly from it and serving to carry the frame memberB which isprovided with portions B to fit upon or embrace the rods 3*. B are setscrews formed 66 in the members B by means of which the frame may beremovably fixed in position upon the rods B A support C may be mountedupon the foundation A and serves to carry the lubricant supply- 70 ingassembly and its driving means. It may be driven in any suitable manner.It may, for example, be driven from the mechanism which drives the ropemaking machine or it may be separately driven. As shown herewith a motor76 C and a shaft C are provided for driving the lubricant supplyingmachine. A pinion C is mounted on the shaft C A. gear housing b'o'xisprovided beneath the lubricant assembly and it is preferably formed toserve as the bottomof 80 the lubricant hopper or container. It may beformed with a generally annular portion D across which extends a webmember D and within which one or more open spaces. D may be provided.The member D is perforated as at D and providedat its upper end with asocket portion D which may also serve as asupport and receiving meansfor a bearing or bearing race. Extending downwardly fromthe annularportion D, preferably formed integrally with it and forming in effect agenerally cylindrical housing, is a portion D A pair of bearing portionsD D is formed in it. The member D is preferably closed at its outer endand the member D is open and interiorly threaded as at D to receive apacking gland D9. At its bottom the cylindrical portion D is closed by apreferably removable bottom plate D A shaft E is positioned in thebearings D D".

It carries at it'souter end a gear E which meshes with the pinion C onthe motor shaftC Adjacent its opposite end and within the housing D theshaft E carries a beveled pinion E.

F is a lubricant conveyor shaft positioned within the perforation D inthe cross member D and preferably having fixed upon it a laterallyextending flange F A bearing F which may be of any suitable type but ishere shown as an anti-friction bearing, is positioned within the socketD of the cross member D and beneath the flange F and thus serves tosupport the shaft The lubricant supplying apparatus is assem- F. At itslower end the shaft F carries a beveled gear F which meshes with thebeveled pinion E on the shaft E. A helical portion F is mounted upon theshaft F and may extend throughout themajor portion of its length.

G is an annular supporting member provided I with one or more upwardlyextending arms G which preferably are inclined inwardly and con-' vergetowarda hollow collar member G2 having within it an inwardly extendingflange or ledge G H is a tube positioned Within the collar member G2 andpreferably resting upon the flange or ledge G It may be fixed inposition therein in any suitable fashion.

, I is a varying cylindrical portion of an irregularly shaped tubularmember which has aninterior diameter of approximately the same as theexterior diameter of the tube H. It is positioned over this tube and maybe arranged for telescopic adjustment along it. I is on upper portion ofthe member I preferably formed integrally with it and flattened so thatin one plane it is wider than the portion I and in a plane preferably atright angles thereto it is narrower than the member I. The flattenedportion I is notched or cut away at its upper end as at 1 This cut awayportion is preferably generally rounded and may have a circular bottomand mayor may not have straight sides. The members I are preferablyformed on the flattened portion I and supported upon the framememberBalthough the flattened tube may be supported in any other suitablemanner. It is preferably positioned as shown in-Figure 1 in par--ticular, so that the wire strands B, as they pass to the forming die andas they move to be formed into the rope, pass through the notched or cutaway portion 1. J ,is a lubricant container. It may be of any suitableshape but is shown as formed with sloping sides. It has an open top andmay have an opening J in its bottom and may also have an inwardlyextending flange member J about the opening J It rests upon and ispreferably secured to the annular member I).

It will be realized that whereas I have herewith shown and described apractical operative device, nevertheless many changes might be made inthe size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departingfrom'the spirit of my invention and I wish, therefore, that my showingbe taken as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

bled as shown at a suitable point with relation to a rope makingmachine, so that the several strands of the rope, before they are formedinto the rope, pass above and adjacent to the tubular assembly. Thelubricant container is filled with lubricant and the shaft carrying thehelices is rotated. The shaft picks up a quantity of lubricant andcarries it upwardly through the tubular assembly, discharging it out ofthe open top. Since the strands of the rope are passing above andadjacent the open top, the lubricant is discharged against them and theythus pass through a body of lubricant and are fully lubricated on allsidesand'move thence to the point where they are madeinto the rope. Eachstrand is thus completely lubricated on all sides and the rope formed ofthem is thus formed of lubricated strands and is itself lubricatedthereby internally and externally. That portion of the lubricant whichdoes not adhere to the strands, falls back into the lubricant containeror vat and may move again through .the tubular assembly to yard itspoint of discharge against the strands.

Since the driving means for the lubricant supply apparatus is positionedin effect within the lubricant housing'or vat, it is itself lubricatedby that lubricant. It might, of course, be made in a separate chamber.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rope forming machine, provided with means forforming a rope from a plurality of strands, means for lubricating saidstrands with relatively solid lubricant, individually, prior to theirformation into the rope, said lubricating meansincluding a lubricantcontainer and means for forcing lubricant rom the container to theindividual strands, said forcing means including a tubular enclosingmeans, formed of'a plurality of relatively telescopical parts, andmounted to discharge lubristrands.

I HALSEY G. KIIIDER.

